Deeper Friendships
by MandyMyfanwy
Summary: A discussion of gardening turns to something more personal.


Harry traced his wand through the grass, leaving a line that glowed bright green as he slowly worked his way around the patch that they'd decided would become the new flowerbed. It had been a few months since he and Ginny had moved into the little cottage, and now that the weather was getting nicer it was time to make it properly their own.

Once the severing charm line was finished, it flashed as it cut through the tangled roots of the grass. Harry gave his wand a swish and a flick, and the grass inside the line slowly came out of the ground, little clods of dirt showering from underneath it as it rose. He carefully maneuvered it over to a patch of bare earth where the grass had never quite managed to spread, and set it down gently. With another few waves of his wand, the grass seemed to settle into the ground a little, then a pair of watering cans drifted over and started showering the grass with water to help it in its new home.

As he turned back to the flowerbed in progress, Harry thought back to his earliest memories of gardening. The spade had nearly been bigger than he was, but that didn't matter when his Aunt Petunia demanded that he start "pulling his weight around here", doing all the digging and lifting while Dudley just sat and watched. This way of gardening was better, especially when it was his own garden that he could be proud of, and actually have some control over what went into it.

He stepped over to the little stack of bags of fancy soil, and tapped each with his wand to open them. He wasn't quite sure why he needed the fancy gardening soil for the flowers, when there was plenty of dirt to be had in the garden already, but Ginny had insisted on their doing things properly, and he wasn't going to argue.

Another wave of his wand, and the soil started to cascade from the bags into the new flowerbed in a graceful arc. As it slowly filled the space, he heard footsteps behind him, crunching along the gravel path that lead to the house.

He turned, and broke into a grin as he saw Ginny walking over, a little dishevelled from quidditch practice, her broom over one shoulder, with Luna walking happily beside her. Ginny grinned back at him. "Hey Harry, she followed me home, can we keep her?" Luna blushed a little, and gave him a wave.

Once the soil finished settling, Harry stepped over to the pair and wrapped his arms around Ginny, planting a trio of quick little kisses on her, one on each cheek and one on the tip of her nose.

She pouted at him, and with a grin he gave her another kiss, on the lips this time, holding it for a moment as he pulled his arms tighter around her. Luna smiled happily at the pair of them, humming a few quiet notes of some tune. After a moment longer, he let go of her, then pulled a slightly surprised Luna into a brief, soft hug as well.

Ginny wandered over to the new flowerbed while Harry was busy hugging Luna, and looked it over. "So, looks like we're almost ready for putting some plants in?"

"I think so... Then we just need to decide what we're getting." Harry followed her over, with Luna sticking just behind him.

Tilting her head to the side, Luna asked, "Are you making a potions herb garden? I've always wanted one of those..." She started to slowly walk a circle around the flowerbed, taking great care in where she put her feet. "You should definitely include dittany, in case you get into trouble."

Harry laughed, stepping out of Luna's path so she didn't have to interrupt her circle. "Well, I was thinking of it more as a decorative thing to work on, but having some useful things in the mix might be fun too." He looked over at Ginny for her input.

"Well, on the decorative side, we definitely need some nice lilies for the centrepiece, but she raises a good point. Especially with you signing up to work as an Auror, Mister Potter."

He raised an eyebrow at her, and stepped over to poke her in the ribs. "Yes, because joining a professional quidditch team is so much better for your health, Miss Weasley."

"Oh, decorative gardens are fun! But you must remember that so many plants have magical effects, even if people ignore them." Luna's circling path brought her over to the wall of the house. "A couple of nice dirigible plums here, to help you think..."

She continued to slowly, carefully circle the flowerbed, continuing her list of plants to try, "Some puffapods around the edge, for luck... Peppermint to keep you sensible, and ginger to keep you focused." She smiled at Ginny, then at Harry. "But definitely lots of lilies, for love."

Ginny flipped her broom off of her shoulder, and got it flying just enough to let her perch on it instead of standing. She slowly drifted over the flowerbed, and smiled at Harry. "Sounds like we've got a reasonably good start to the plans, then. We should probably write all that down."

Pausing for a moment, Luna blinked at Ginny. "That's what I would do, anyway. But then, it's not my garden."

Harry shook his head, stepping over towards Luna. "No no, it's good to have ideas, and everything you said sounded like a good plan." He put his hand on her shoulder, comfortingly.

"Oh, that's good. I know I can tend to say too much for some people, and then they get upset..." She drifted off from the sentence, looking up at a particularly interesting cloud.

Following her gaze upwards into the sky, Harry move his hand from her shoulder and wrapped his whole arm around her instead. "Never too much, Luna." Still looking at the sky, he smiled. "It'll be dark soon, and I for one want something warm to drink. We should head inside."

Ginny drifted past, still on her broom, and smiled at the pair of them. "Agreed. Last one in has to make the hot chocolate!" She reached out to boop Harry on the nose, then turned her broom towards the door. She leaned into it a little to get some speed, before hopping off just at the steps.

The others followed, with Harry stopping at the door to let Luna in ahead of him. When they got inside, Ginny was already on the couch, stretched out luxuriously to make her point.

As they came over, she sat up again, and Luna sat in the middle of the couch next to her, almost perching as she looked around curiously at every little decoration and trinket they had (which wasn't many).

Harry walked over to their little kitchen – it was big enough for the pair of them but if they had to entertain it might get a bit cramped – and started the various stages of making hot chocolate for them all. "So Ginny, she followed you home?" He grinned at her.

"Well, she came to watch practice today, to support me, and we got to talking afterwards... and then we were here. So, technically, yes, she followed me home."

He laughed as he started to heat the mugs of milk, once again glad of magical assistance in the kitchen. "Well then..."

Luna looked over the back of the couch at Harry and smiled. "Ginny was telling me about what it's like moving in together, it sounds like a very exciting time."

Harry laughed. "Exciting, yes, but if I never see another packing box again it'll be too soon." He started to pour the hot chocolate mix into the mugs, as the self-stirring spoons started to slowly spin.

She nodded, glancing around the room again. "Having nice things is nice, but when you have to move it all I could see it getting distracting. The last time I tried to pack any of my things, I ended up spending an hour with each one and thinking about it. It was quite nice, just getting to think about what each of them meant, but it did rather mean it took all day to pack one bag."

Leaning over to rest her head on Luna's shoulder, Ginny sighed. "I've had days like that, especially when it comes to the things I've had since I was little. It's amazing how many memories can get caught up in something small."

Ginny froze, her own poor wording having suddenly brought back memories of her first year at Hogwarts, of what a memory trapped in a silly little book had done in the hands of a silly little girl, of what To—... of what Vol—... of what he had done to her, and made her do.

She felt Luna's arms wrap around her tightly all of a sudden, in a warm, protective, comforting embrace. After a moment Harry was leaning over her and wrapping her in a hug as well. They all stayed there a moment, the feeling of protection from both of them helping to push the memory from her mind.

A few deep breaths later, Ginny nodded slowly, a smile starting to touch her lips. "I'm... okay, I think. Thank you. Both of you." She kissed Harry on the cheek, then leant her head on Luna's shoulder again, staying pressed against the comforting feel of her side. Luna kept one arm wrapped around her back, thought not holding so tight as it was.

Harry gave Luna a grateful smile as he ran his fingers through Ginny's hair softly, then returned to the kitchen to finish making their drinks. After a few moments, while everyone enjoyed the brief moment of silence, Harry returned with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, handing one to each of the girls.

Ginny smiled at Harry, then took an immediate sip of hers, savouring the rich chocolate taste. Luna thanked him quietly and smiled up at him as he went back to the kitchen. He came back a moment later with his own mug, and a plate full of the type of biscuits that McGonagall had always kept on her office desk.

He offered a biscuit to each of the others, then put the plate down on the coffee table. He sat down next to Luna, taking a sip of his drink. Luna smiled at him, then at Ginny. "This is quite nice."

He nodded in agreement, glancing over at Ginny. She smiled back at him, reassuring him that she was feeling better after her memories hit again. Harry said, "I'm glad. It's always nice to have you around, Luna."

Luna tilted her head to the side. "Thank you. I like being here, and seeing you two being happy together is so nice..." She trailed off again, her eyes fixed on a small lion toy sitting on a shelf.

Ginny smiled at her, and returned her head to Luna's shoulder, closing her eyes for a moment. "You know, it's kind of a pity that they split the dorms up by houses, at Hogwarts. It would have been nice to get to share."

A moment's consideration, then Luna nodded. "I think you're right. The girls in my dormitory were nice enough, but they thought I was a bit odd." She smiled. "I should imagine fewer of my things would have gone missing with you there, but perhaps that would have spoiled their fun."

"Oh no doubt." Ginny grinned at her. "But I'm sure we could find our own fun to make up for it."

There was the sound of a clearing throat, then Harry's impersonation of Professor Snape, "No bat bogey hexes in the dormitories, young lady. Five thousand points from Gryffindor." All three of them broke down into laughter at this. Back in his usual voice, Harry continued, "If it was one from each house per room, then I'd not have gotten to spend all that time with Ron, and I'd probably have ended up with Malfoy instead."

Ginny stuck out her tongue. "I'd much rather things turned out the way they did, thank you very much."

Her arm still around Ginny, Luna leant over to put her head on Harry's shoulder, sighing happily. "Being with someone seems like it would be very nice."

Harry shifted closer, and put his arm around her, mirroring her arm around Ginny. He nodded, looking off into the distance. "It is, especially having someone to come home to. I'm sure you'll find someone, though."

"I found some really interesting books, you know. I should show you them some time." Luna's voice had its usual dreamy quality as she seemingly changed subjects, though with something on the edge of it that Harry and Ginny couldn't quite place.

Leaning forward for a biscuit, Ginny smiled. "What sort of thing?" She wasn't sure where the conversation was going now, but with Luna it was almost guaranteed to end up somewhere interesting.

"Oh, all the sorts of ways people feel things. Did you know there are people who don't like relationships at all, no matter who it's with? Or people who like having more than one, and somehow make that work? I thought that was very interesting."

Harry blinked, thinking it over for a moment. "I had enough trouble finding one person to date, finding two just sound stressful." He looked over at Ginny, and winked at her.

"True... Sometimes things find you, instead..." She smiled happily. "After all, you two found each other, and you didn't seem to be out looking for that when it happened.

"It's amazing the ways that seeing things actually put into words can affect you." Luna's arm around Ginny pulled the girl a little closer, as she shifted to move in towards Harry a little more. "I saw something in there called demisexual, for people who only really want relationships with people they're already good friends with." She was still talking in her usual distant tone, though she was seeming a little more nervous about what she was saying.

Ginny sat up, turning towards Luna as she put her mug down on the table. She glanced at Harry, then said, "That is an interesting one to find."

Luna smiled. "I think you two are the friends I care about the most... I really am happy that you're happy together..." She leaned forward slightly, still staring off into the distance at something on the shelves opposite. "But seeing things described like that, that some people have to care before they can 'like' someone... It made me very happy to know that that's something real, that it's not just me being odd."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other behind Luna, holding eye contact for a brief moment that somehow felt much longer.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side slightly.

Harry grinned, and nodded quietly.

They both leaned in towards Luna, and as Harry's lips softly touched against her cheek, Ginny's touched the other. They held there for a moment, as Luna's eyes went wide.

Once the twin kisses broke, Luna looked at each of them, momentarily lost for words. She smiled. "That was very sweet of both of you both."

Harry smiled at her, his face still close to hers. "We both care a lot about you, too, and we want you to be happy."

Ginny wrapped her arm around Luna's waist, to match Harry's around her shoulders. "And you're right, sometimes things do find you."

They stayed there together for a moment, then Luna turned, pressing her lips against Ginny's. They held together for a moment, Ginny's arm tightening around her waist, each enjoying the softness of each other's lips, then they pulled back, looking into each other's eyes.

A pause.

A deep breath.

Luna turned again, and this time kissed Harry, holding the kiss for just as long, enjoying the difference in how his lips felt in comparison, then she pulled back, eyes locked on his, again pausing.

Luna blushed. "That was very nice." Harry and Ginny eagerly nodded their agreement.

Two more mugs joined Ginny's on the table, as they decided that their hands were better used for hugging than holding hot chocolate.

As they all curled up around each other, they went silent again for a little while, each enjoying cuddling together on the couch. Luna nuzzled her face into Ginny's neck, sighing quietly, happily as her sensations were filled with the feeling of skin against skin, which only got more intense as Harry wrapped his hand over the back of her neck gently.

Over the top of Luna's head, Harry just had enough room to shift his head forward, so that his nose was pressing lightly against the tip of Ginny's, while his other hand wrapped around both Ginny and Luna, pulling them closer.

They stayed like that for a while, occasionally shifting so that each one got a turn being in the middle of the cuddle pile, feeling the other two surrounding them, protecting them, comforting them. After a while (none of them were quite sure how long), Ginny kissed Luna on the cheek again, grinning. "So, is this how you were expecting this conversation to go?"

Luna giggled, shaking her head. "No... I wasn't meaning to ask you two to do anything, even if I kind of hoped. I mean, that book did talk about how sometimes people are in more than one relationship, but I don't know if I know anyone who's done that."

Harry squeezed Luna tight, kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her lip. "Well, I suppose now you do." He kissed her again, this time letting his tongue softly, hesitantly press forward. As his tongue touched Luna's lips, she seemed slightly surprised, but relaxed into it, her lips parting and her tongue coming to meet his, while Ginny slowly stroked her hands up and down Luna's sides.

As the kiss broke, Luna smiled and tilted her head to the side. "So, what does this make us?"

Harry paused, then shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe you need to bring that book over, and we can go through it together to work out what we all are." He kissed her again, then leant over, kissing Ginny as well. "All I know is that I'm curled up with two people that I love deeply, and that it feels right."

Luna nodded, then softly pressed her lips against Ginny's, her tongue softly starting to explore Ginny's lips as Harry had explored hers. She closed her eyes, enjoying the kiss, and the feeling of being with these two amazing people, of getting to share in this.

Watching the exchange happily, Harry paused for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Ginny, to answer your question from before... Yes, I think we can keep her."


End file.
